In U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,470, a centrifugal analyzer is disclosed in which a transfer disc carrying the constituents to be analyzed is disposed within the central opening of a cuvette ring. The cuvette ring is formed of material having good thermal conductivity and defines cuvette cells into which the constituents are received and may be heated. According to the principles set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,470, the heating component within the cuvette ring may be regulated and monitored to maintain the temperature of the constituents at a regulated heat level. Further, siphon slots are defined by the cuvette ring in communication with each cuvette cell for exhausting the constituents from the cell after the desired data has been derived. Still further, quartz glass rings may be positioned above and below the cuvette ring to aid in forming the cuvette cells and to provide superior light transmission for the photo-responsive means utilized by the apparatus.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,470, the transfer disc which is interposed within the central opening of the cuvette ring has a number of chambers, with each chamber having two wells which are radially spaced from the axis of rotation of the disc. Separate constituents are disposed in each well, and a passage that is radially spaced from the axis of rotation communicates the separate constituents to a respective cuvette cell.
An apparatus which is being sold commercially having a construction in accordance with the principles of U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,470 is the ROTOCHEM.RTM. IIa centrifugal fast analyzer, manufactured by American Instrument Company, Division of Travenol Laboratories, Inc., Savage, Md.
Known in the art are disposable cuvette systems which lack certain of the advantages of the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,470. For example, a disposable multi-cuvette rotor for use in a centrifugal analyzer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,531. The multi-cuvette rotor disclosed therein does not provide for heating, or temperature monitoring, or siphon-exhausting of the reactants from the chambers after the desired data has been derived. In addition, the optical properties are limited by the optical component that is formed as a part of the disposable cuvette rotor.
Another disposable cuvette array for a centrifugal analyzer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,173. The cuvette array disclosed in this patent is formed entirely of plastic sheet material, and does not provide the temperature regulation that may be provided by the cuvette ring of U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,470. Further, the plastic material forming the cuvette array of U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,173 would generally not have the optical transmissive properties of the quartz glass which may be used with the cuvette ring of U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,470.
It is seen that the heat regulation and excellent optical transmissive benefits of the system of U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,470 are achieved as a result of utilizing a central transfer disc with an outside cuvette ring with which the central transfer disc cooperates. The devices of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,226,531 and 4,113,173 comprise cuvette arrays formed with a combination of the transfer mechanism and the cuvette. In order to obtain the benefits of disposability, these cuvette arrays have to accept the limitations of the particular plastic cuvette portion for optical transmissiveness and these disposable cuvette arrays cannot be closely heat-monitored as is possible with the separate cuvette ring of U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,470.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a centrifugal analyzer that utilizes a cuvette ring of the type which may be heated, and also employs a disposable carrier member for receiving the constituents to be centrifuged.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rotatable carrier member adapted to receive a plurality of disposable container-like inserts, with each of the inserts being adapted to receive directly the constituents to be centrifuged, and with the carrier member being adapted for positioning within the central opening of a cuvette ring.
A further object of the present invention is to provide disposable container-like inserts, for positioning within slots defined by a circular carrier member that is indexed and positioned within the central opening of a cuvette ring.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide disposable container-like inserts as aforesaid, in which at least a portion of the insert carries a precoating of an agent for use in an in vitro diagnostic test.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.